Manufacture of baskets



il 29, 19240 1,4 1, 3 A F. s. SULLIVAN MANUFACTURE OF BASKETS Filed March 12 1923 2 sheets sheet 1 April 29, 1924, 1,491,933

F. s. SULLlVAN MANUFACTURE OF BASKETS Filed March 12, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

rarsnr MANUFACTURE or BASKETS.

Application filed March 12, 1923. Serial No. 624,634.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LAFRANK S. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Traverse City, in the county of Grand Traverse and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Baskets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of baskets which are popularly known as grape baskets and consist of walls of thin veneer or similar material, a wooden bottom, an outerhoop or band of veneer or similar material secured around the lower edges of the walls and to the edge of the bottom and inner and outer similar hoops or bands secured to the upper edges ofthe walls. As

now generally produced, the parts of the basket are assembled about a mandrel or form in a machine which is composed of elements whereby the. several parts of the basket are held in assembled relation upon the form and staples or other fastening devices are driven through the bands or hoops so as to secure the parts together. The

.machine cannot be operated to its full capacity'under this method of proceeding in-' asmuch as the operator of the machine assembles the parts of the basket upon the form, and after onebasket is finished'a second basket is assembled upon the same form and the parts secured in the same sequence of steps as was observed? in producing the first basket. The primary object of myinvention, therefore, is to provide means; whereby the elements of a basket may be as-' sembled before being placed in the stapling machine so that, while the operator offthe machine is applyingthe outer bands or hoops and securing the several parts together, a helper may be assembling the parts of a second basket ready to transfer the same in the assembled relation to the form in the stapling machine, and this process will perrnit the elements of baskets to be assembled at each side of the machine and the as sembled parts transferred alternately to the stapling machine so that the output will be very materially increased without a large increase'in the cost of operation. The in 'VGIlillOll resides in a certain method or proc-.

ess of operation and in a novel mechanism for carrying out the processor method. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus adapted to carry out my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing some of the elements of the basket assembled,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a further stage in the formation ofthe basket;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the parts of the basket fully assembled and ready to be transferred tothe stapling machine;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the improved apparatus;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the formed basket as it appears after the parts have been assembled;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the inner top band or hoop of the basket and the In carrying out my invention, I employ a bench or table 1 which may be of any convenient'dimensions or form and is provided wlth longitudinal slots 2 near'its ends upon its central longitudinal line. Rocking arms 3 are inserted through the slots 2 and are provided with trunnions or pivots 4 which are journaled in bearings 5 provided upon the table or bench at the sides of the respective slots 2, as clearlyshown, and at the upper ends of these rocking arms are arcuate heads or presser bars 6 which are adapted to bear against the end members of the basket walls, as will be hereinafter fully set forth. The lower ends of the rocking arms are disposed below the table or bench, and links 7 are pivotally engaged therewith to connect the arms with a cross head 8 at one end of a foot lever or pedal 9 which is suitably fulcrumed below the bench. It will be readily understood that a downward pressure exerted upon the cross head 8 will rock the arms 3 so that the heads 6 will be swung inwardly to engage and support the end'members of the walls of the basket.

Secured rigidly upon the bench or table is a form block or mandrel 10 which is of such shape and dimensions as to conform to the interior of the basket to be produced, and this form or mandrel has a flat upper surface, as shown at 11, around which are spaced guides or gages 12 which may conveniently be metal straps or bars secured to the sides'of the mandrel or form and having their upper ends projecting slightly above the top of the form, as clearly shown in Fig.

. 1. also provide a clincher ring or band i 13 consisting of a basal web 1 1 and an upstanding rim 15 coextensive with the inner edge of the basal web. This clincherring is of the same contour as the form or mandrel 10 and is of such size that it will slip easily over the form or mandrel and rest upon the bench at the base of the mandrel. *At the center of one side of the basal web 14, a stop lug 16 rises therefrom in spaced relation to the rim 15 whereby the ends of the innertop hoop or band of the basket may be retained in proper relation While the parts are being assembled. i

When a basket is to be formed, the metal clincher ring 13 is slipped downwardly over the mandrel to re'stupon thebench or table 1, as shown in Fig. 2, and the hoop 17 which is to be secured to the inner sides of the basket walls atthe upper edge thereof is then engaged "around the rim 15 of this clincher ring with its. ends overlapping, as shown at 18, between therim and the lug 16, it being noted more particularly upon reference to Fig.;r6, that the overlapping ends 18 will fit snugly between the rim 15 and the said lug 16 so that they cannot spring apart and. the hoop will be maintained in the proper position relative to the Wall of the basket. The flat bottom 19 of the basket is then. placed upon the top of the mandrel and, will be properly centered thereon by the gages or stops 12 in an obviousmanner. The sheets 20 which'are to constitute the ends of the basket arev then placed against the ends of 'the mandrel outsidethe stops or gages 12 and against the hoop 17, after which the arms 3 are rocked soas to carry. the presser bars 6, against the said end members and support them against the mandrel around the ends of thesame, as shown in Fig. .3. The sides 21 ofthe basket are then placed against the sides of the mandrel with their ends overlapping the edges of the endmembers 20,f after which a. metallic clamping ring. or band 22 is slipped downwardly over the assembled sides and ends and pushed downwardly to such an extentthat it will firmly bind ,o'r clampthe said sides and ends against the edgeof the bottom 19 and against the'hoop 17, the lower edges of the end and side members. 20 and 21 resting upon the basal web 14 of the clincher ring or anvil. The presser arms 6 may then be swung away from the assembled elementsand the entire assemblage re,- 7

moved from the mandrelby properly grasping the same around the clamping ring 22 and maintaining the. engagement of the said clamping ring with the elements. The partly formed basket is, then placed over the former mandrel of the stapling machineand the operator of. .said machine places the,

outer hoops around the upper and lower edge portions ofthe basket. The staples orotheriastenings are then driven through the said hoops and, the wens or the basket inthe usual manner, the fastenings driven through the lower hoop passing, into theedge of the basket bottom so as to secure the body of the basket thereto and the staples orflother fastenings driven through the upper hoop passing through the same, the body of the.

basket and the inner hoop and being upset or clinched against the rim 15 of the clincher ring or anvil 13. The formed basket and the clincher ring are then removed and another ket in the manner described.

It will thusbe seen that I provide means whereby the stapling or finishing machine may be continuously operated so that it may operate to maximum capacity and the output of the factory be very materially increased. As the helpers need not be highly skilled operators, the cost of production will not be increased in the same degree as the volume of production but will be relatively decreased. The keeper lug 16 on the clincher or anvil ring 13 effectually prevents the spreading of the inner hoop 17 and the clampingring 22 when driven home around the as'sembled Walls ofthe basket will eflectually hold them against the basket bottom and against the said upper inner hoop so that the assemblage'may 'be removed and insertedin the stapling machine rapidly and without liability of the assembled parts to collapse. My apparatus isexceedingly sim-' 80 and then assembles'the parts of another has stantial, and durable so that the cost of upkeep will be negligible. 7 V, v

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed asnew is: Q

The improvement in the art of making baskets which consists in assembling the bottom, the' walls and the inner topband of the basket upon a form, clamping the walls to the bottom and the band, transferring the assembled walls, bottom and band from the form to a stapling mechanism, then placing the outer bands about the walls, and then fastening the assembled ele-' ments. 7 p V 2. The improvement in the art of manufacturing baskets which consists in placing a clincher ring about the lower end of a form, resting a basket bottom on the top of the form, engaging an inner top band about the clincher ring, assembling'basket walls about the band and the edge of the bottom,

clampingthe walls to the band and the bottom, transferring the assembled clincher ring walls, bottom and band from the form to a stapling mechanism, then. placing the iao outer bands about the walls, and then fastening the assembled elements.

3. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a fixed support, a mandrel on said support, a freely removable clincher ring adapted to rest upon the support around the base of the mandrel, and means for holding assembled elements of a basket body to the mandrel and said clincher ring while said elements rest upon the said rm E In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a fixed support, a mandrel thereon, gages at the upper end of the mandrel to center a basket bottom thereon, a clincher ring adapted to rest upon the support around the base of the mandrel and provided with means for retaining a hoop in engagement therewith, and means for holding an assembled basket body to the mandrel While resting on the clincher ring.

5. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a fixed support, a mandrel on the support, a clincher ring adapted to rest on the support around the base of the mandrel, means for centering a basket bottom upon the top of the mandrel, and a clamping ring to bind around a basket body assembled upon the mandrel whereby the basket body, the basket bottom and the clincher ring may be removed from the mandrel in assembled relation.

6. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a fixed support, a,

mandrel rising therefrom and about which a basket may be assembled, rocker arms mounted upon the support adjacent the ends of the mandrel for movement in vertical planes, and lateral presser bars carried by the upper ends of said arms and adapted to hold the basket Walls against the mandrel.

7. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a fixed support, a mandrel thereon, a clincher ring adapted to rest upon the support at the base of the mandrel and including a rim fitting closely to the mandrel, and a keeper lug in spaced relation to the rim whereby a hoop may be engaged about the said rim with its ends overlapping behind the keeper lug, means for supporting the end members of a basket body on the clincher ring and against the ends of the mandrel, and means for clamping the sides and ends of the basket body against a hoop fitted about the clincher ring and a basket bottom resting on the top of the mandrel.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK S. SULLIVAN. [na] 

